


Visitors

by Denebola_Leo



Series: Tavern at the End of the World [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Gift Fic, In a different world, Not Beta Read, One Shot, helping hand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-11-02 00:40:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20562686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denebola_Leo/pseuds/Denebola_Leo
Summary: It's a wonderful spring day in Edge, and Tifa is getting ready for the dinner rush when three people from out of town come through the door...





	Visitors

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SailorStarDust1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorStarDust1/gifts), [MarleNadia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarleNadia/gifts).

> I just had this ruminating in my head. It's a gift fic because SSD loves herself some Squinoa/Cloti, and while it's light on it, it's just for fun, and really, take the idea any way you wanna. Partially inspired by A desire to feel needed.
> 
> Same with you, Marle! Since you kinda inspired a piece of this from Don't Think Twice.
> 
> Anyway, this was shat out in under three hours, so don't expect a masterpiece. It is, however, kinda fun.

The spring breeze outside brought hints of the North Sea into Seventh Heaven, the windows creaked open to allow some air circulation to take place after a particularly harsh winter. Every day, Tifa would open them up, the sun-warmed air freshening up the establishment and lessening the heavy, but faint, scent of grease. A small vase of flowers on the bar counter helped, too.

It was between rushes, the lunch hour come and gone and the dinner crowd a few hours away. Tifa prepared for it, making simple meat pies out of leftover stew and chopping up some vegetables for later. When Cloud came home later, he would help her in the bar. He was at the office today, not on the road—Reeve had convinced him to work for the WRO as their young, new commerce executive.

Of course, Cloud wasn’t used to being in a suit and working in an office. But, he couldn’t say no to the steady paycheck, generally good hours, and Reeve persuading him he could help more people doing this than being a simple delivery boy. He still did emergency runs if the WRO couldn’t, though. Of course.

She couldn’t help but think how far they had come yet again after everything. After him running away and returning, he seemed...renewed. All of his dilly-dallying certainly had made him lose weight, as he had joked—a weight off of his shoulders, a blade taken out of his heart. And he showed it every day, wanted her to know that he was there, and he would face forward instead of lingering on the past. 

Of course she accepted it. Over the weeks and months, of course. Slowly, she let him back in, and she was glad she did. It was like those days before his delivery service again, like the days after they adopted Denzel. Hopeful. Happy. And now, content. 

Yes, there was contentment.

_ Ting, ting. _

“Welcome to Seventh Heaven, I’ll be with you in a moment!” Tifa said as she still faced the wall, covering a pie with a blanket of raw pastry. The sound of several pairs of footsteps tapped against the wooden floor, hesitantly coming closer. She wondered if it was perhaps their first time here, or if they were just here to sheepishly ask directions. 

As she turned around to properly greet her new guests, Tifa froze, smile and all, at the sight of just who came into her little establishment. Her ruby eyes lingered on the two men, and she barely believed her own eyes. From the look of shock on their faces, they, too, were in a state of disbelief. 

“...T-Tifa?” The older man with green eyes blinked in rapid succession. “Wait, you _ are _ Tifa, right? I mean maybe I’m jumpin’ to conclusions—”

“Laguna? Squall?” Tifa tilted her head gently to the side. No, this had to be some strange dream. But why was Laguna...aged? Squall looked the same, down to his stern frown. The girl, she wasn’t so sure about. They looked like they could’ve been sisters. “I...what are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you!” she corrected. 

Squall looked about a moment, then back at Tifa. “...Trust me, I’m glad you’re here, too.”

Tifa forced down the urge to chuckle. He had never been good at showing affection towards his allies in the battle against Chaos. Her smile was more relaxed and natural now, and she clapped her hands together. “Well, let’s get you three situated, then!”

She took them behind the counter and towards their living space, next to stairs and the alcohol stores. It had a small table with five chairs, a large sofa, a window that revealed the neighboring building’s cobbled together side, a rug and a television. Tifa sat them at the table, then went to fetch them some tea. 

When she came back, they were whispering to each other, and she swore the young woman had a possessive glint in her eye. Mentally shrugging, Tifa served them some of her best green tea that Yuffie had gifted her from Wutai. “Ah, I don’t think we’ve met…” 

“I’m Rinoa,” the black and blue garbed teen announced while getting a bit closer to Squall, getting part of her face into the white fur of his bomber jacket. He let out the barest of sighs.

Tifa bowed her head gently. “It’s nice to meet you, Rinoa. I’m Tifa.” She looked over at Squall as he sat between the other two. “So, how did you get here?”

He shrugged helplessly. “I have no idea. We were in Laguna’s office, and then suddenly we weren’t. I was afraid we ended up on Planet B again.”

“Nope.” Tifa shook her head. “Welcome to my world.”

She felt bad for them. How were they going to get back? “Well, this isn’t an inn, but we have enough beds for you three to sleep in until you find your way home.” 

“We’ll just need two.” Rinoa lifted her hand with two raised fingers. “Squall and I can sleep together!” 

Tifa bit her lip to not laugh at Squall’s reaction. He never was the kind for talking feelings, let alone divulge his romantic life. “That’s good to hear. Squall’s a dependable sort.”

“Hm, how do you know him?” 

“Well…” The barmaid divulged their strange story, simply a corroboration of the others’ tales from her point of view. “So, that’s how I got to know him, and Laguna, too.” 

“Man, it was a trip, wasn’t it?” Laguna leaned back and enjoyed a sip of hot green tea. “That dude Sephiroth was always buggin’ you. Like, hate bounces!”

Squall raised a brow as he looked over at him. “What does that even mean?” 

Laguna rubbed the back of his head as a blush came over his cheeks. “I dunno, I heard it once, though!”

A giggle finally came out of Tifa, happy to hear Laguna spout nonsense quotes after...two, three years now? And how long had they fought together, before they had to part? “I guess he just had it out for me.” 

“Yeah, let’s hope he doesn’t show up, or any of those other Warriors of Chaos.” Again he sipped his tea, his eyes looking towards the pipe entwined ceiling. “I mean Terra was just being controlled by that clown guy, so she’s probably alright.”

_ Ting, ting._

“She joined Cosmos, remember?” Squall blew on his cup. There were footsteps from somewhere in the bar, ignored. 

“Wasn’t there!”

“I wasn’t, either. But I was glad to hear she was freed from Kefka.” Tifa tapped her fingers on the warm ceramic in her hands. “Poor thing.” 

“Tifa?” came a call from the bar. 

She turned towards the door. “In here, we have company!”

The footsteps came closer until Cloud, dressed in a graphite business suit with the yellow chocobo print tie the kids had gifted him, entered the room with a wry expression. “If it’s Yuffie, check her pockets for candy. The kids—” 

The blond blinked once, mouth slightly agape at the sight of Squall and Laguna. “Uh…” 

Laguna went for his leg, rubbing it under the fabric of his loose, tan capris. “L-leg cramp…” 

“You and Tifa are from the same world?” Squall asked, momentarily eyeing the ridiculous tie that didn’t suit a warrior. 

Cloud nodded, standing right behind Tifa. “Yeah. We’re family,” he stated with a small blush and a faint smile. Tifa was not able to control her beaming.

“We’ve known each other since we were kids,” she added. Tifa noticed Rinoa’s jealousy dry up instantly and replaced with curiosity and a small measure of relief, her smile more genuine. “We grew up in the same old backwater, you see.” 

“Ah! So, high school sweethearts!” Rinoa clapped her hands together. 

Laguna chuckled to himself, as if he hadn't just stared at a (former) Warrior of Chaos, unprepared for battle. Or perhaps it was that he was wearing a business suit... 

Tifa wondered what a high school was, but decided it was better to get them settled before trying to find a way to get them back home. And if that wasn’t possible, well, they’d help them make new lives here, in this post-apocalyptic world. 

Well, at least the kids would have new people to talk to. She was sure they’d love Laguna.

As she led them up stairs and asked Cloud to put up the “closed” sign on the door, she wondered what fate was about to get all of them into yet again.

Whatever it was, they would face it head on. Together.


End file.
